More than 1 million have voted; early voting surges in South Florida

More than a million Florida voters have chosen a new governor, a full two weeks before Election Day.

And the first day of early voting in the state's largest, Democratic-leaning counties suggests a much stronger turnout in 2018 than in 2014.

In Miami-Dade, three times as many people voted on the first day of early voting as did four years ago. In Palm Beach County, about twice as many voted Monday as did four years ago.

Miami-Dade, the state's most populous county, received about 15,000 people at early voting sites Monday.

The turnout on the first day four years ago was 4,828, the county elections office said.

Statewide, 113,750 people voted early on Monday. The early voting totals were highest in Broward, Miami-Dade, Palm Beach, Orange and Duval with Hillsborough a close sixth.

The statewide vote-by-mail total through Monday was 1,033,346, with Pinellas, Miami-Dade, Lee, Hillsborough and Broward the five leaders in returns. Republicans account for 44 percent of returned mail ballots, and Democrats 38 percent.

On the first day of early voting, Democrats accounted for 44 percent of all ballots cast and Republicans 40 percent.

Early voting will be available in all 67 counties in Florida by Saturday.